49ers vs Lions Game Preview

The San Francisco 49ers finished the 2017 season with five consecutive victories, which created a lot of false Super Bowl hope for fans. Losing a week one clash against the Vikings – a genuine championship contender – should bring expectations down to reasonable.

After getting whipped by Jets rookie QB Sam Darnold during his NFL debut, the Detroit Lions want to rebound and give first year head coach Matt Patricia his first win. Drew Stafford and the Lions looked lackadaisical on both sides of the football, turning the ball over five times throughout the match.

New York defenders knew the plays that the Lions were running before the snap, while Detroit’s defense were helpless against the Jets. Considering coach Patricia was a defensive coordinator for the Patriots, Detroit’s failure across the field doesn’t bode well for the franchise’s new bench boss.

San Francisco put up a solid fight against Minnesota, but ran into a team which features superior talent at every position. The Vikings elite pass rushers managed to sack Jimmy Garoppolo three times and pressure him into throwing a trio of interceptions. Facing a less intense defense in week two will help the 49ers recover their swagger.

Detroit will be considered the underdog for this matchup, but could upset the 49ers if Garoppolo doesn’t take care of the ball while the Lions stifle San Francisco’s running game.

49ers vs Lions Head-to-Head Record

San Francisco has dominated this matchup for decades, a trend which appears ready to continue in 2018. Detroit hasn’t won in Northern California since 1975, giving the 49ers a massive home advantage. The Detroit Lions have won only two games against the 49ers since 1988, including a recent stretch of nine losses in their previous ten meetings with San Francisco.

Anyone who witnessed the week one dismantling of the Lions knows that something appears very wrong in Detroit this season. This doesn’t resemble the club which nearly made the playoffs with a 9-7 record last season. Fixing week one issues will be next to impossible after jetting across the country to meet a historically dominant rival. Anything less than a touchdown victory for the 49ers will be shocking on Sunday.